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Gallipoli was called Australia's "Baptism of Fire"-it marked the moment when Australia "came of age" as a nation

The world stood up and noticed the new nation and cheered on the bravery and endurance of its fighting men

Gallipoli highlighted what Australians like to believe are the main characteristics of the Australian identity

Characteristics

The Australian's willingness to endure pain and difficulties and to never give in or complain

Australian good humour even in the most trying circumstances

Mateship between men when faced with adversity

Feeling of egalitarianism (equality)

Anti-authority

Basic common sense

Resourcefulness

"never say die" attitude

Immediately after the war there were deep divisions in Australian Society. One of the main divisions was between those who had fought and those who had not

Many groups were excluded from the digger legend because they didn't fit the stereotypical ANZAC image:

Women

Aboriginals

City-dwellers

Non-Anglo-Celtics

Migrants

Gallipoli

Terrain

The Gallipoli Peninsula is about 60km long and 15km across at its widest point

Gallipoli has a spiny backbone rising to a peak of about 300m

Largely barren or covered with scrub

High cliffs and narrow gullies filled with spiky thorn bushes

Weather

Summer

Fiercely hot and waterless

Temps up to 40°C

Winter

Bitterly cold

Torrential rain

Icy winds

Australian women's main wartime work was in traditional female roles related to nursing and volunteer service, the food, clothing and textile industries.

The government refused them roles which many would have liked as members of auxiliary units to the armed forces.

Whenever women did enter the workforce to replace men, it was only as part of a 'reserve' labour force. They had to give up their jobs for men returning from the war.

Voluntary work provided the main means for women to contribute to the war effort.

Volunteer organisations were:

Australian branch of the British red cross society

Australian comforts fund

Australian women's service corps

Australian army nursing service

Up to 200 volunteer groups existed. Women knitted socks (to help with trench foot) and made up of comfort boxes for the men at the front (cakes, puddings, cigarettes, newspapers, clothing, messages and support)

In 1916 and 1917, there was no television radio.

The campaign was conducted in newspapers, through billboards and in speeches at political meetings

Each side of the debate employed speechwriters, playing on people's emotions and tried to grab the daily headlines.

Catholic Archbishop of Melbourne, Daniel Mannix, opposed conscription

I am not saying anything bad about Germans, some of my friends are Germans.

Reasons Australia went to War

It was taken for granted that Australia would give immediate support to Britain

The popular reaction to the outbreak of war was equally as enthusiastic thousands of young Australian men could not wait to get into uniform.

The reasons of excitement and adventure and romance.

A once in a lifetime opportunity.

A patriotic duty, a love of the empire and the king

Peer pressure

Men in uniform were more attractive to the opposite sex

Propaganda and claims of German atrocities

High standards of enlistment set a social benchmark

A chance to earn money for the first time

Ignorance was a major factor

The first Aus. troops left in November 1914 and together with volunteers from New Zealand were sent to Egypt-not the western front (France & Belgium) where they spent many monotonous months training and getting into trouble until finally they were sent to Turkey, for the following reasons

Turkey was an ally of Germany

The defeat of Germany would give Britain & her allies control of the port of Constantinople

Britain saw Germany's Southern allies as the soft underbelly of the Central Powers

Russia was in trouble on the Eastern Front & defeating Turkey would open a supply line to this front

The fighting of the Western Front had bogged down in a war of attrition & it was believed a successful against Turkey might weaken Germany.